Sun shield



p 1966 M. J. FERGUSON SUN SHIELD Filed May 26, 1961 INVENTOR United States Patent 3,271,778 SUN Sl-HELD Martin J. Ferguson, Rye Colony, Rye, N.Y. Filed May 26, 1961, Ser. No. 113,039 3 Claims. (Ci. 212) This invention relates to a visor or sun shield. It may be made from flexible cardboard and be of the disposable type, or it may be constructed of a thin plastic or other suitable sheet material to provide a product of more durable character.

As far as is known, visors heretofore made are either low in cost but inadequate, uncomfortable or non-adjustable, or are too high in cost for universal use where most needed.

An object of the invention is to provide an adequate, comfortable, adjustable visor which can be manufactured and sold at a price which will permit wider use for protection from the sun of a good part of the face including the eyes.

A specific object is to provide such a visor saleable at a price which would permit it to be purchased as a disposable item at outdoor sports events where the spectators sit or stand in the sun. Another object is to provide a visor which can be cheaply made and printed with advertising matter and given away at outdoor athletic events.

The visor of the invention is illustrated in the accompany-ing drawings by three figures in which: FIG. 1 shows a perspective of the sun visor; FIG. 2 shows a series of visors in plan view in a nesting position in which they are cut, and FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a single visor with arms folded.

With reference to the drawings, there is shown a series of flat cut, unitary visors each having a shading section or front piece 10. This front piece has a front edge in the shape of a flattened curve and is wider than the forehead of the intended wearers. From this front piece, there are backwardly extending, outwardly flaring arms 11 and 12 for joining at the back of the head to hold the visor on the head of the wearer. Along one edge of the arm 12 there are a series of slits 13 cut in a direction across the arm. The other arm 11 is provided with a slit or slot 14 of a length adapted to receive the arm 12, this slit also running substantially in a transverse direction across the arm. The slits 13 may be numbered or marked with head sizes, like hats.

The inside edge of the front piece is out toward the front edge to provide a series of tabs 15 having rounded ends, the bases of which establish a line 16 of greater curvature than the front edge of the eye piece which line may conform substantially to the normal forehead of the wearer. At the bases of the tabs or of the slits between them and on the curve 16, a series of holes 17 are provided to permit air flow and ventilation up the forehead of the wearer.

The visors may be cut in series from a strip of cardboard -or plastic material of suitable flexibility and their inside configuration is the same as the outside configuration except for the part cut out to form the tabs and except for the ends of the arms.

At a point substantially at the juncture of'the arms with the front piece, score lines or creases 18 may be provided at an angle to the arms which will permit the same to be folded over against and within the confines of the front piece.

When the visor is to be worn, the tabs 15 are preferably I bent upwardly on the line 16, which may be scored or creased. The front piece may then be placed at the forehead and the arms joined at the back of the head by inserting and drawing the arm 12 through the slit 14 until the desired grip on the head is obtained, whereupon the arm ice 12 is moved in a sidewise direction to cause the nearest slit 13 to'engage the edge of the slot 14. The insertion of the arm 12 into the slit 14 from the top or outside of the arm 11 causes the loose end of the arm 12 to extend in behind the arm 11 where it is withheld out of sight in neat fashion.

The attachment of the visor on the head forces the sides of front piece to curve downwardly somewhat, thereby to give extra protection from the sun. The width of the visor provides this area to the side of the face of the wearer.

Several advantages of the visor of the invention include (1) its adjustability to various head sizes where the numbered slots facilitate its fit, (2) the folding tabs at the forehead and the ventilation holes make it more comfort able than the visors which contain the customary sharp edge of other low cost devices, (3) cutting dies used to produce the visors can interlock or be placed in a nesting fashion thus making them economical to produce while wasting only a minimum amount of material, (4) the ability to fold the attaching arms makes it convenient for shipping by the seller and convenient for storing by the retailer and the ultimate user, and (5) if the visor is to be used for advertising, the front piece of the visor offers substantial poster display for the advertising message.

It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details hereinbefore given'but that it extends to all equivalent structures which will occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A plurality of nesting, fiat-cut one piece flexible sun visors consisting of the same material and each comprising in their flat position a wide eye-shading front piece having a front edge in the shape of a flattened curve having a width adapted to be wider than the forehead of the intended wearer, said front piece having narrower backwardly extending outwardly flaring arms, suitable for attachment to each other and sufliciently long to overlap at the back of the head of the wearer, the inside edge of the arms of each surmounting sun visor conforming to the outside edge of the next adjacent sun visor.

2. The sun visors of claim 1 wherin the respective sun visors are provided with adjustable means at their end portions for attaching the arms together to provide various head sizes for the wearers.

3. The sun visors of claim 1 wherein one arm of each visor has a single oblong slot therein and the other arm of said visor is adapted to pass through said slot and is provided with serrated edges adapted to engage a side of said slot and thereby provide a fit for heads of various sizes.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 307,362 10/ 1884 Wagenet 212 1,452,305 4/1923 Mahony 2--12 2,004,098 6/1935 Andrews 2-197 X 2,373,855 4/1945 Shaw 22383 2,679,047 5/ 1954 Bozzi 2--12 2,883,094 4/ 1959 Calder 223-83 2,988,743 6/1961 Wagenfeld 212 OTHER REFERENCES Copyright to Ferguson, M. 1., Registration Number K 58544, Dec. 15, 1958.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

THOMAS J. HICKEY, Examiner.

S. G. LAYTON, JR., G. H. KR'IZMANICH,

' Assistant Examiners. 

1. A PLURALITY OF NESTING, FLAT-CUT ONE PIECE FLEXIBLE SUN VISORS CONSISTING OF THE SAME MATERIAL AND EACH COMPRISING IN THEIR FLAT POSITION A WIDE EYE-SHADING FRONT PIECE HAVING A FRONT EDGE IN THE SHAPE OF A FLATTENED CURVE HAVING A WIDTH ADAPTED TO BE WIDER THAN THE FOREHEAD OF THE INTENDED WEARER, SAID FRONT PIECE HAVING NARROWER BACKWARDLY EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FLARING ARMS, SUITABLE FOR ATTACHMENT TO EACH OTHER AND SUFFICIENTLY LONG TO OVERLAP AT THE BACK OF THE HEAD OF THE WEARER, THE INSIDE EDGE OF THE ARMS OF EACH SURMOUNTING SUN VISOR CONFORMING TO THE OUTSIDE EDGE OF THE NEXT ADJACENT SUN VISOR. 